Roland2rule wrote:In 1973 mortgage payments represented twenty-one percent of an average thirty-year-old male's income; and forty-four percent in 1984.
(A) income; and forty-four percent in 1984
(B) income; in 1984 the figure was forty-four percent
(C) income, and in 1984 forty-four percent
(D) income, forty-four percent in 1984 was the figure
(E) income that rose to forty-four percent in 1984

OA is B
OA says B. But I don't see anything wrong with C. PLs I need an Expert contribution on this.

Generally speaking, "comma + and" is used to either

1) Connect two independent clauses: (I went to the circus, and later I went for a run.)
2)Complete a list of 3 or more elements: I bought apples, oranges, and pears.

Here, "in 1984 forty-four percent" is not an independent clause and it's not the last element in a list. Moreover, think about the construction in terms of clarity. What is forty-four percent? In B, it's 100% clear that it's the figure. (And note that the semi-colon correctly connects two independent clauses.)